Air Conditioning Precautions (Freelander 2)

The air conditioning system contains operating fluids and components which, if mishandled, pose a risk to operating personnel and the environment. The following instructions are intended to familiarize service personnel with the hazards involved in working on an air conditioning system and to demonstrate the consequences of mishandling the system.

For additional safety precautions, see the relevant sections of this manual, as well as section "Health and Safety". These precautions must be read before carrying out repairs.

The air conditioning system uses HFC-134a refrigerant (fluorinated hydrocarbon) R134a.

Only personnel familiar with the device of the system and special equipment for its refueling and maintenance are allowed to service the air conditioning system. All operations must be carried out in well ventilated areas, away from sources of open flame and heat.

R134a refrigerant is a potentially hazardous liquid and can cause serious injury if not handled carefully. To work with the air conditioning system, you must have special protective clothing: heat-resistant gloves, face protection, rubber boots and a rubberized apron or special coat.

First aid measures

WARNING: Due to its low evaporation temperature, R134a must be handled with care. If R134a refrigerant comes into contact with unprotected skin, it causes instant frostbite. Bleeding cylinders and trolleys can also cause frostbite on the skin during coolant draining.

If there was an accident associated with the ingress of R134a refrigerant to unprotected areas of the body, then:

• If R134a gets into your eyes, do not rub them with your hands. Gently flush the injured eye with plenty of eyewash to raise the temperature. If a special eye wash is not available, flush the eye with clean, cold water. After rinsing the eye, apply a clean swab to it and seek medical attention immediately.
• If R134a comes into contact with skin, flush the area with plenty of water to raise the temperature. If you have touched the drain cylinders, also flush the skin area with plenty of water. Wrap damaged skin in wool (or similar) blankets and seek medical attention.
• If weakness is felt and ingestion of R134a fumes is suspected, move immediately to fresh air. If the person is unconscious, then immediately take him out of the contaminated area to fresh air, give artificial respiration and (or) let it breathe in oxygen. After providing first aid, contact a medical facility.

Maintenance Precautions

When working on air conditioning components, follow these instructions:

• Do not pull or lift system components by hoses, piping, or capillary tubes.
• Hoses and pipelines should not be subjected to small radius bends and mechanical stresses; the cooling capacity of the system in the presence of nodes or any additional resistances will be reduced. Before tightening the nuts, make sure that the hoses are correctly positioned, the components must be secured with all the provided fasteners.
• Flexible hoses should not be located near the exhaust manifold (closer than 100 mm) in the absence of heat shields.
• After installation, make sure that there are no loose touches of pipelines on metal panels. Loose touch points can cause noise, so there should be no such points.
• Use a special torque wrench to tighten the connecting nuts of the pipelines. An additional wrench should be used to hold the piping or unit from turning while tightening the nuts.
• Before connecting a hose or pipe, lubricate the O-ring seats with special oil, but DO NOT lubricate the connection threads.
• The safety plugs should only be removed before connecting the components directly.
• To avoid the formation of condensate from the air that will enter the system when the piping is disconnected, make sure that the components are at room temperature before disconnecting.
• When disconnecting air conditioning piping, immediately install plugs or caps on all piping to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the system.
• Openings must not be left unplugged for more than 20 minutes. Otherwise, a new receiver/dryer will need to be installed.
• The receiver/drier contains a desiccant that absorbs moisture. It must always be sealed. A receiver/dryer left unplugged for more than 20 minutes should not be used again; it should be replaced.
• The receiver dryer should be connected to the system last. This will ensure maximum protection of the system from moisture.
• In all cases, when removing any components of the air conditioning system, the receiver / dryer should be replaced.
• Use a clean, lint-free cloth dampened with alcohol to clean dirty connections.
• Components used for repair must be marked for use with R134a refrigerant.
• After a major overhaul of the system, it is necessary to carry out a leak test, the procedure for which is discussed in section "Repair work" this guide.

Special oil used in the air conditioning system

CAUTION: The special oil used in the air conditioning system is very hygroscopic. It cannot be stored for a long time. Do not pour unused oil back into the container. Use only recommended compressor oil.

When replacing air conditioning components, drain the special lubricating oil into a graduated container. When installing new components, fill them with the same amount of oil - see section "Air conditioning compressor replacement".

Air conditioning compressor

New compressors supplied as spare parts are hermetically sealed and filled with nitrogen. When installing a new compressor, carefully unscrew the sealing plug. At this time, you should hear the sound of escaping gas.

CAUTION: New compressors supplied as spare parts must be hermetically sealed and may be filled with pressurized nitrogen. To avoid oil spills, remove the sealing plugs (traffic jams) slowly and carefully. Remove sealing plugs (cork) immediately before mounting the compressor on the vehicle.

Rapid refrigerant leak

If the air conditioning system is depressurized as a result of an accident, the refrigerant evaporates completely. It happens spontaneously within a very short time. As a result, most of the lubricating oil is carried away with the refrigerant. In this case, remove the compressor and drain all the oil from it. Then refill the system with oil as described in section "Air conditioning system" this guide.

Precautions for removing refrigerant, preparing it for further use and charging the system
Before filling the air conditioning system with refrigerant, the existing refrigerant must be removed from the system and prepared for reuse. After that, the system should be filled with the required amount (by weight) refrigerant and lubricating oil (by volume).

WARNING: The refrigerant must be cleaned before it can be reused. The refrigerant purification technology must comply with regulatory requirements and provide the required degree of purity. Refrigerant handling must be performed on equipment certified by Underwriter Laboratory Inc. in accordance with SAE J1991. If the equipment used does not meet this requirement, then there is no guarantee that the refrigerant will be purified to the required degree of purity.

The R134a refrigerant service station is not designed to handle any other type of refrigerant. R134a refrigerant, which is commercially available and intended for domestic use, is not suitable for use in a car's air conditioning system.

The removal of the refrigerant must be carried out immediately before charging the system. Do not leave the system uncharged.

Air conditioning compressor replacement

The new compressor is supplied fully filled with lubricating oil (X cm³).

Before installing a new compressor, the calculated amount of oil must be drained from it. To calculate how much oil to drain from a new compressor, follow these instructions:

• Loosen the drain plug on the removed compressor.
• Turn the compressor over and drain the oil by gravity into a calibrated container. Turn the compressor shaft by the clutch to make sure that the oil from the compressor is completely drained.
• Record the amount of oil drained (Y cm³).
• Determine how much oil to drain from the new compressor using the following formula: X cm³ - (Y cm³ + 20 cm³) = Q see³
• Remove the drain plug from the new compressor and drain Q cm³ of oil. Insert and tighten the compressor drain plug.